"How Did the Hot Spring Destination End Up Like This?" Missing Persons, Burn Victims... Japan Devastated by Days-Long Fire

Over 170 Buildings and Surrounding Forests Burned
Dry Air and Strong Winds Fueled the Fire

A massive fire broke out in Oita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, causing significant damage, including the destruction of more than 170 buildings. The fire, which started on the 18th, has not been fully extinguished as of November 20, and the damage is expected to increase. On the 19th, Yonhap News, citing Kyodo News, reported that a fire occurred around 5:45 p.m. the previous day in Saganoseki Village, Oita City, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. At the time, strong winds had been blowing since the previous day, with a strong wind advisory in effect, making firefighting efforts difficult. As of the morning of the 19th, the fire had not been brought under control and continued to spread, burning more than 170 buildings, including homes, as well as surrounding forests. Currently, the area affected by the fire exceeds 160,000 square meters.

Aerial photo of Saganoseki Village, Oita City, Oita Prefecture, where the fire continued for the second day on the 19th. Photo by Kyodo News and Yonhap News Agency

As a result of the fire, up to 180 people were relocated to shelters set up by the local government, and a man in his 70s remains unaccounted for, with police working to confirm his whereabouts. A woman in her 50s suffered burns and was transported to the hospital. Additionally, approximately 270 households are experiencing power outages. Oita City has also requested the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to support firefighting efforts.

The fire was exacerbated by dry atmospheric conditions and strong winds. At the time of the fire, Oita Prefecture was under a dry weather advisory, and strong winds of around 10 meters per second were blowing. The Asahi Shimbun reported, "According to Fire and Disaster Management Agency statistics, the number of buildings damaged in this urban fire is the highest in the past 20 years, surpassing the 147 buildings affected by the fire in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture in December 2012."

Meanwhile, during the 2024-2025 year, the total area burned worldwide exceeded the size of India. According to the 'State of Wildfires 2024-25' report released by an international research team, approximately 3.7 million square kilometers were lost to wildfires globally between March 2024 and February 2025, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions during this period reached 8 billion tons. While the burned area was 10% less than the 20-year average, emissions actually increased by 10% due to a rise in large-scale fires in carbon-rich forests and wetlands.

In North America, the burned area was 35% higher than average, and carbon emissions were the second highest since 2003. In Canada, 46,000 square kilometers burned, releasing 282 million tons of carbon-85% higher in area and 200% higher in emissions compared to the average. Douglas Kelley of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology stated, "Multi-year drought, early snowmelt, and 'holdover fires' that smoldered through winter and reignited in spring led to an earlier fire season." In particular, the United States saw 64,000 fires burn 36,000 square kilometers, while Mexico experienced 8,000 fires burning 16,500 square kilometers. The wildfire in Southern California this past January was also recorded as "the most expensive wildfire in history."